This instrument is the most elaborately
ornamented scroll model mandolin made by Orville Gibson that
we have ever encountered. The hand-written label reads "Made
by O.H. Gibson 1906 Kalamazoo Mich." The 1906 date, which
also appears on a peghead inlay and on the tailpiece, is of
interest since this date is well after the incorporation of
the Gibson Company in October 1902. By mid 1903, Orville
Gibson had sold his stock in the Gibson Company and had
little if any ongoing relationship with the Gibson Company
after that time. The year 1906 is the latest date we have
encountered on any instrument produced by Orville Gibson.

While Gibson Company instruments bear printed labels with
the Gibson Mandolin-Guitar Co. logo, this particular
instrument has an entirely hand-written label and has no
indication that it was produced by the Gibson company. It
would appear that Orville Gibson wanted to make it extremely
clear that this was his own personal work rather than a
company product. A pearl inlay at the tip end of the peghead
is engraved "O.H. Gibson 1906," the label is handwritten
and makes no mention of the company, and the tailpiece
cover is engraved "O.H. Gibson" rather than "The Gibson."
The base plate of the tailpiece is engraved with the date
1906.

The construction of this instrument is very much like those
produced by Orville during the late 1890s. The neck joint is
Orville-style, with the heel of the neck flush with the side
rims. The volute on the back of the peghead and the friction
tuners, rather than geared pegs, are typical Orville Gibson
features. The carving of the back, with steeply angled
arching at the edges and the flat central expanse, is typical
of Orville's work. The back, sides and neck are of walnut,
as are most Orville-made instruments. The body dimensions
and shape are typical of Orville's work. Essentially, this
instrument is a throwback to the structural techniques
Orville used prior to the incorporation of the Gibson company.

Although the earliest Gibson Company instruments feature
construction essentially the same as Orville's handmade
instruments, within a very short time the company began
abandoning Orville's original concepts in favor of
construction that was more compatible with factory assembly
line techniques. While there are no existing documents to
confirm reasons for the changes, it is my opinion that
Orville's technique of combining the neck and side rim of
the body as a unitary construction would have been very
awkward in production. The very deep relief carving of the
scroll would unquestionably be more difficult in production
than the later Gibson design, and the carving pattern of
the back would likewise be a problem for mass production.

The friction pegs that Orville utilized on F-style mandolins
would almost certainly not appeal to most players as much
as geared tuners. Orville's body size is significantly
larger than later Gibson mandolins and the shallow neck-set
angle and the low bridge, in the opinion of most players,
simply do not work as well as the later design with a higher
bridge and steeper neck set angle.

What few records remain from the period hint that Orville
did not support company management's decision to alter his
original design concepts to accommodate customer demands
or to facilitate easier factory production. It is pure
speculation as to why Orville Gibson produced this particular
mandolin in 1906. I have not encountered any other examples
of instruments handmade by Orville Gibson built later than
1902. It is my personal speculation that this instrument was
very likely made by Orville in an attempt to demonstrate to
the Gibson company that his original design concepts were
indeed superior to the direction they had taken and perhaps
to influence them to see the "error of their ways."

For whatever reason he produced this instrument, it is clear
that Orville intended it to be a presentation instrument
designed to show off the best of his talents. This is the
most elaborately ornamented scroll model Orville Gibson
mandolin I have ever encountered. The instrument is in fine
structural condition and is currently set up in good playing
order. It has a sound that is notably different from the
later Gibson mandolins but is very much like that of the
very few other genuine Orville Gibson made mandolins I have
encountered that are still in playable condition. The tone
might best be described as semi-classical.

This mandolin was on display at the Gibson factory in
Kalamazoo until 1961, at which time the Gibson president
Ted McCarty made a ceremonial presentation of the instrument
to Maurice Berlin, the CEO of Chicago Musical Instrument Co.
(which had purchased Gibson in 1944). After the death of
Maurice Berlin, the instrument was passed on to his son
Arnie, from whom we acquired it. This mandolin has very little
playing wear. It would appear that it served primarily as a
display piece.

Unlike other famous luthiers, who produced relatively large
numbers of instruments over a considerable span of years,
Orville Gibson had a very short career. The earliest instrument
attributed to Orville is a 10-string mandolin-guitar bearing
a small circular plate engraved with the date 1894. Although
it can not be proven that this is Orville's earliest, no
earlier examples have been found and the 1894 date has been
accepted by the Gibson company as the start of Orville's
career as a builder. Only a very few examples of Orville's
personal handwork remain.

His instruments feature carved tops and backs, which was a
radical departure from previous guitar and mandolin building
techniques. While Orville stressed that his instruments featured
violin building principles of construction, his carving patterns
and his technique of incorporating the neck and the sides in a
unitary construction are radically different from those of any
violins. It is clear that Orville was an innovative builder
with an artistic flair. He produced at least two lyre shaped
mandolins as well as scroll models (known as F-style) and simple
symmetrical pear-shaped (A-style) models. He made guitars in a
variety of body sizes, but most of them were notably large for
instruments of the 1890s. While the Gibson Company abandoned many
of Orville's structural concepts early in the history of the
company, it is very clear that Orville's designs laid the
foundation for the company's products. The concept of the carved
mandolin and guitar appear to originate with Orville Gibson rather
than to have been an evolutionary concept built upon designs of
previous guitar or mandolin builders.

Although Orville's total personal output of instruments was very
low, it would appear that he was one of the most innovative luthiers
in history. For a maker who produced only a few instruments over a
span of as little as 12 years, his influence on the industry is
entirely out of proportion to his personal output. Modern jazz
guitars and carved model mandolins are still produced today with
designs that can be clearly traced straight back to Orville's work.

I know of no performers currently using an instrument handmade by
Orville Gibson. Since playable examples of Orville's work are extremely
scarce, it is entirely possible that had he not been successful in
selling his design concept to a group of Kalamazoo businessmen who
incorporated the Gibson company, his instruments might be virtually
forgotten today. Any surviving example of Orville Gibson's work is
an extremely important historical artifact. While this mandolin did
not influence the owners of the Gibson company to revert back to
Orville's early design concepts, as the finest presentation grade
handmade Orville Gibson mandolin ever made and very possibly the last
instrument produced by Orville Gibson in his career, this is without
doubt an extremely significant, historically important instrument.